Don't You Cry
by Taisi
Summary: Another tale of high school romance, and taking the first steps into true love. Let's just hope the concerned parties are aware of what could happen: love is a powerful and frightening thing, after all. Yaoi
1. Chapter One

Title: Don't You Cry

Summary: Another tale of high school romance, and taking the first steps into true love. Let's just hope the concerned parties are aware of what could happen: love is a powerful and frightening thing. Who knows...

Pairings: Mainly NaruSasu, but also some KakaIru.

Warnings: Lousy attempts at humor, high school angst, yaoi, and a faltering, fleeting, uncertain relationship between two people who need to learn to trust again.

_Chapter One_

--

It took him awhile to stumble back to his apartment. Once there, he fell down the hall without bothering to lock the door behind him; people could break in so easily he might as well save them the effort, as well as prevent his door or windows from sustaining any damage. He made it to his bedroom and collapsed onto the bed, waiting for that soothing numbness to take over. It made the pain so much worse later on, but he'd take it then for the blissful ease it gave his body now.

He buried his face in the pillow, closing his eyes to the crimson stain that blossomed onto the white cotton. He knew he should at least try to clean up, to mop the blood off his face at least - a shower would have been nice, but he was too worn out to move, his body screaming protest to the very thought of getting up; so he simply laid there, waiting for sleep to come.

His last thought before he sank into unconsciousness (finally) was a dismal one; he began school tomorrow.

--

When he sat down quietly at his usual place, in the back of the classroom next to a window, he felt an odd sense of excitement amongst his peers. He paid it no mind, setting his bag soundlessly on the floor beside his desk, and he turned to peer out the window into the street. Life held no excitement for him whatsoever; once upon a time he might have thought it unfair that so many others could find such a joy in living, but now he simply didn't care. He didn't avert his gaze from the glass as the class settled down around him, chattering amiably amongst themselves.

_"Did you hear?"_

He'd long ago given up on trying to ignore them; it just wasn't worth the wasted effort. So he listened impassively to all their mutterings and gossip, waiting for the sensei to start the class so he could ignore them all with more efficiency.

_"You mean about the new kid?"_

Great; another useless moron to help fill the air with mindless noise. Just what he needed. _Could this day get any worse? _he thought to himself, glare tightening as he watched the leaves fall from a branch positioned exactly in front of his view. _Not that that would be a new experience._

_"Yeah; I heard he moved here on his own."_

He clenched his loosely fisted hands tighter.Two leaves clung tightly to the otherwise bare tree limb, unwilling to break away and execute the downward spiral towards the ground. _He probably just had an argument with his parents, or something stupid like that. He probably had it all and left it, over something trivial. _He was unknowingly creating a background for the boy he hadn't even met yet, devising reasons (that may or may not have been true) to hate him for everything he was.

"_I wonder what he looks like..."_

"Alright, class," the platinum-haired man in the front of the room finally drawled, setting his book down. "It's time to begin. So shut up." Ruffled, his students quickly took their seats; while one pink-haired girl, completely unfazed, called out "Good morning, Kakashi-sensei!" and the bored teacher acknowledged her with a salute-style wave. "Yo." Sasuke glanced at him, respecting him enough to give him a small nod. The sensei eye-smiled back, recognizing the small sentiment for what it was, and then yawned; the lower half of his face was covered by a black cloth mask, and he had a vertical scar across his left eye.

"Anyway, as I'm sure you all must have heard," he continued, choosing to sit lazily on his desk, rather than stand behind it, "we have a new student. He--" The door rattled and slid open slightly, allowing two blue eyes to peer through warily. "Ah, here he is now. Come in, Naruto."

The door opened completely, revealing the boy to the rest of the class. The navy blue pants of his school uniform were already scuffed around the knees, and the white button-up T-shirt was untucked and unbuttoned around the collar, the tie looped and knotted loosely. He wore bright orange sneakers instead of loafers, and had completely discarded the boys' last peice of the attire, a dark blue jacket, choosing to sling it over his bag rather than wear it. Messy blonde hair partly concealed brilliantly blue eyes; on each of his cheeks were three whisker-like scars.

He walked gingerly into the room, with what the class interpreted to be nervousness; Kakashi, eyeing him, could tell he was walking so carefully to cover a limp - because who put so much thought into their stride? Come to think of it, who put too much thought into _anything _if they didn't have something to hide?

"Welcome, Naruto," Kakashi said dryly, in a voice he was famous for; Naruto didn't seem at all put off by any of his new peers' stares, and not in the least bit by his new teacher's tone. Kakashi noted this with some approval. He waited for the blonde to speak - because his generation was extraordinarily opinionated and loved to voice their thoughts - and frowned behind his mask when he said nothing. "Why don't you give us a few words."

Naruto smiled and obliged: "I'm Uzumaki Naruto. I was born in October, I hate vegetables, and my favorite color's orange." He stopped there, apparently guessing (and rightly so) that that was all the class cared to hear.

"Well, go on and choose a seat." Kakashi turned his attention to the blackboard, scrawling the day's assignment across it in loopy, lazy writing.

"Alright, sensei," he said, still grinning altogether too happily. As he walked towards the back of the room, he caught the mutterings of more unfriendly students, and warm smiles from others. He ignored the whispers and returned the smiles, focused on the empty desk in the back. He almost didn't see the sullen blackhaired boy there, but instead slid into his chair and focused not for the first time on making himself invisible.

The dark-haired boy said nothing when the blonde sank into his seat and pulled his battered bag close, burying his face so only his blue eyes were seen; rather, he scowled maliciously and turned away, focusing his gaze outside the window.

_Give it time; once he hears about me, he'll move up to sit with those idiots. It'll happen at once; it always does._

The leaves outside the window danced, breaking from the branch and twirling from the tree, at mercy of the wind as they flew away.

---

Naruto glanced around helplessly, at a loss. The school was _huge. _He hadn't ever been in a high school before, and the middle school he'd once been enrolled in was small anyway. Clutching his lunch tightly, he wandered aimlessly, looking for any bright red signs directing him in the direction he so desired to travel. He couldn't even find the reason he'd _come _so far to this school--well, one of the reasons.

_What if he moved? _Naruto thought with a mental frown. _What if he's not even _here _anymore?_

Well, if that were the case, than this was a complete waste of his time and he'd be better off trying to scrape up a job to support himself...

"Ah!" His face split into a smile upon recognizing the boy who entered the hall from another classroom as one from his own homeroom. "Ano sa, ano sa...! Uchiha-kun!" He trotted forward, blue eyes earnest. "'Member me? I'm--"

"Spit it out," the other boy said coldly, dark eyes harsh and in no means friendly. His gaze held the _"what the hell do you want" _sentiment, so Naruto decided to cut to the chase.

"Souka...I was just wondering how I could get to the roof--"

"Look for the stairs, dobe." And he turned around and swept away.

---

Unwrapping their o-bento, the group of ten settled on the roof and decided to discuss the pressing matter at hand; the transfer student.

"Why do you think he transfered in the middle of the school year?" Sakura asked, positioning her chopsticks daintily on her fingers. "I mean, did one of his parents have to switch jobs or something...? I mean, it's really strange, having a new student now."

"Who cares," Kiba said through a mouthful of white rice, glaring at her through half-lidded eyes. "It doesn't really matter why since the teacher didn't say anything."

Ino made a face at him, springing at once to her pink-haired friend's defense. "So? What if all the teachers are just trying to cover something up? He could be, like, a gang-member, or a runaway."

"You realize that's entirely unlikely, right?" Shikamaru drawled, stabbing lazily at his fried eggs before passing his bento to Chouji, tiredly deeming eating too troublesome. His brunette friend, a rather round, cheerful fellow, smiled at him, accepting the food without question. "Besides, there's no way the school board would allow someone unsafe into the school. He has to have records and all that, and normally transfer students' parents have to meet the teachers and principal and stuff."

"You have an answer for everything, don't you?" Neji said quietly, eyes closed with an air of superiority as he picked up a square of tofu inbetween his chopsticks.

"Well I like him," a boy sitting at Neji's side said enthusiastically, glaring at everyone else without anger.

"Of course you do, Lee," a pig-tailed girl on Neji's left sneered playfully. "He's probably a drop-out, just like you!" This, of course, innovated a rather loud argument, which Neji, inbetween the two as usual, calmly ignored. The others went back to eating, Shino reaching over and helping Hinata, who'd silently been struggling through the entire conversation, untie the elaborately decorated handkercheif wrapped around her bento box. She blushed hotly and thanked him profusely, and Kiba reached over to ruffle her hair affectionately. Ino muttered something about finding a room, and Sakura smacked her, telling her not to make Hinata any more flustered than she already was. Shikamaru was complaining to Chouji about how loud everyone was, Chouji nodding in agreement with a straight face, laughter in his eyes, when Kiba said suddenly, "Hey, it's him!"

At once, their noise level dropped to zero, and they all whipped around to see the door swinging shut behind the blond; he blinked, surprised to find more people than himself and hastily backed up, grouping for the doorhandle, obviously unsure where he stood with his new peers. "Ah, sorry," he said immediately, finding the handle and opening the door behind him. "I'll--"

"Don't be stupid," Shikamaru muttered, eyeing him skeptically. "We don't own the roof."

"He means you're welcome to stay, if you'd like," Chouji interpreted without missing a beat.

"Yes, Naruto-kun!" Lee exclaimed, jumping to his feet and racing to Naruto's side, gripping the blond's arm and yanking him over to join the cluster of students seated together a few feet away. Naruto, for his part, allowed himself to be dragged, blinking dubiously at Lee; Neji smirked, apparently humored by his expression, and everyone else smiled, shifting to make room for him. He sat down slowly, back against the chainlink fence, and surveyed the others, before opening his own store-bought bento.

"Ehh? Carry-out?" Kiba prodded at the plastic with a chopstick. "Why are you eating that?"

Naruto smiled good-naturedly. "Well, I'm not the greatest cook in the world, and since there's no one else around to make food for me, nine times outta ten I gotta buy it."

His cheerful remark was met by silence, and he returned to ripping open the plastic. "So, Naruto," Sakura said suddenly, leaning forward a bit. "What's your story?" When the blond stopped what he was doing, and glanced at her too quickly, she hastily ammended, "I mean, why'd you transfer here so suddenly?"

"Oh," he smiled again at them, warmly. "No real reason. Change of scenery, I guess. It was hard living in the same place I grew up. Memories, you know?" He took a bite of rice, leaving his audience to come to their own conclusions on his statement, letting them make of it what they wished.

"So...your parents are dead?"

"Yup."

"I...I'm so sorry," Sakura said, looking stricken and sorry she'd asked him in the first place. He glanced at her with surprise, and lowered his chopsticks, meeting her green gaze firmly.

"There's nothing for you to be sorry for," he said, looking bemused. "It's stuff of the past, in any case." He grinned, startling them with how consoling and open the gesture seemed to be. He tilted his head, a kind of prompt for Sakura to continue eating and to forget her previous discomfort, and returned to his rice. After a few moments he glanced up again, looking ready to voice something that had been on his mind. "Oi...That boy, the one I sit next to in homeroom? What's..." To say 'what's his problem' sounded rather offending and crude, so he stole from Sakura's earlier question and continued, "...what's _his _story?"

He pretty much killed the friendly ease in the atmosphere; he immediately tried to change the subject, apologizing hastily for being rude. Sakura smiled, making a patting gesture with her hands. "No, it's fine," she said, eager to put him at ease. "It's just...he never talks about it. It happened a long time ago, a few years actually. It was a huge story, all over the news." Naruto set down his chopsticks again, staring at her with an intense gaze that made her squirm; it wasn't exactly disconcerting, it was just the feeling of being listened to, given complete and utter attention, focus and respect, when you've never really had that before. So she continued, "When he was nine, his entire family was killed by his older brother."

"Suge," Naruto whispered, shock evident in his expression. "Did they catch him?"

"No, he's still on the run," came Ino's reply. "They haven't caught him, and it's been _six years._ It makes me wonder if our police force is any good after all."

"Aw, don't say that," Naruto said with a smile. "I'm sure our officers are very good. Itachi must be very hard to find, is all. I'm sure he's got companions; I mean, someone has to be on his side, for him to have remained hidden for so long." He stood, gathering his things. "I'm going to go explore the school a bit more. I feel like I'm never gonna get the hang of this place," he said good-naturedly, holding up a hand in a gesticulation of farewell. He threw the bag of half eaten food away in the bin by the door, pulled the door open and then closed behind him, and was gone.

Everyone started eating again, silently, until Shikamaru said, "We never told him Itachi's name."

--

He peered into the teacher's lounge, looking apologetic. "I'm sorry to bother you," he said apologetically, "but I'm new here, and I was looking for someone...?"

He was recognized by Kakashi, who was lounging by the window with a book, and was waved him over. "Who're you looking for, Uzumaki?" the platinum-haired sensei almost drawled, lazily.

"Ano sa, a man named Umino Iruka...he teaches here, doesn't he?"

"Yeah," Kakashi said, raising one eyebrow without changing his expression. "Why do you need him?"

"Oh, good," came Naruto's reply, as if he hadn't heard his teacher's question. "Excuse me, ma'am," he bowed slightly at the woman nearest him, looking earnest and hopeful (Kakashi saw right through his ruse, and thought fondly, _That little bastard..._), "but do you know where Umino-sensei's room is?"

Blown away by his innocent expression, the woman set down her papers and answered him directly. "Umino...? Oh! You mean Iruka-kun!" She smiled. "Yes, his room is down this hall."

"Ano sa, do you think he'd be there now?" Naruto looked almost dejected as he eyed her o-bento. "He doesn't eat lunch elsewhere does he?"

"No, no, he'll be there," she assured him. "He likes the silence for his reading."

"Thanks so much!" he bowed again, smiling hugely, and turned back to Kakashi. "Arigato, Kakashi-sensei," he said in an even voice, before trotting from the room. Immediately, the female teachers grouped together to gossip; Kakashi opened the window and hopped out.

--

_So, you wanted to find Iruka-sensei, ne? Just what purpose do you have..._

A/N: I finally got it written! You have no idea how long I was sitting on this...o.o Hope you enjoy! Please review, and refrain from flaming. n.n


	2. Chapter Two

Title: Don't You Cry

Summary: Another tale of high school romance, and taking the first steps into true love. Let's just hope the concerned parties are aware of what could happen: love is a powerful and frightening thing, after all.

Pairings: Mainly NaruSasu, but also some KakaIru.

Warnings: Lousy attempts at humor, high school angst, yaoi, and a faltering, fleeting, uncertain relationship between two people who need to learn to trust again.

Note: I swear to God, there will be no bizarre love triangles going on. The relationships won't be easy, but they won't be triangular, either.

_Chapter Two_

--

Kakashi trailed the blond relentlessly. Despite his asking where Umino Iruka's room was, he showed no inclination of going there at all. He wandered about the school's hallways, for all appearances innocently exploring to get a better hand at finding his classes. For some reason, Kakashi was unconvinced that this was the only reason he made his way steadily away from where Iruka was, but had no reason whatsoever to not trust the polite student.

_What are you up to? _he thought, watching Naruto stop to peer out the window. And when the boy glanced at the clock on the wall, Kakashi realized with a jolt it was almost time for class to begin. And he'd learned nothing about the blond or his mysterious exploits around the school..._Goddamn little bastard, _Kakashi thought with a narrow-eyed scowl.

--

The rest of the afternoon passed without incident; Naruto seemed unaware of his stalker, but managed to easily evade Kakashi when he tried to corner him for an interrogation session. Kakashi went home disappointed, but not without first saying goodbye to Iruka, who smiled gently and returned the sentiment. Kakashi frowned, frustration vented easily into determination to protect Iruka-sensei from the dangers of mysterious and polite (mysteriously polite?) children.

The next morning, Kakashi sat tensely, ready to pounce on the blond as soon as he entered and demand answers to his many questions. Well, his one question. Eh, didn't matter. He was more than a little frustrated when the boy didn't show...

The atmosphere in the room was tense. Kakashi watched his students carefully; a few of the girls were whispering to each other anxiously, glancing up every now and then to look at the clock or the door. When the door slid open moments before the bell rang to admit a breathless Sakura, Kakashi was seriously curious. So, it would appear, were all the male students in the room. A braver boy--_I've always admired Chouji, _Kakashi thought vaguely--inched closer to them, asking in a small voice if they were all okay.

But at that point, the door slid open again; everyone hushed, glancing up. Kakashi, sore at whoever had interrupted the interesting little drama, looked over as well, in time to see Umino Iruka drop a kiss on an angel-blond head, then ruffle the hair there with blinding affection; and the boy smiled up at him, thanking him, before he stepped into the room.

_What sucks is that I'm the only who saw that, _Kakashi thought after a moment. _I'll have no witnesses to call out when the time comes..._

Naruto shut the door behind him, crystalline blue eyes sweeping over the class. Well, eye. One side of his face was covered in a square of gauze, positioned with medical tape over his right eye. His left arm was in a sling. He bowed to his silver-haired teacher who only blinked dumbly, mumbled and then turned to make his way to his seat. Seemingly oblivious to all the eyes on him, he slid into his seat, setting his bag on the desk and fixing his gaze on the blackboard behind Kakashi's desk.

Slowly, all the gazes but one left the unresponsive blond. And then those dark eyes left him, too, returning to staring out the window.

But that isn't to say about half of the class didn't attack him after class. "What the hell happened to you, man?!" Kiba yowled at him, slamming his hands down on the desktop. "Jesus Christ, you like you've been hit by a truck!"

Naruto smiled mildly, in a way the others were beginning to recognize as "unwilling to talk". "Nothing much. I fell--I'm a really clumsy person, you see." He stood, grasping his bag. "I'm sorry, but I don't want to be late," he said politely, before sweeping past them and out the door in a very un-clumsy manner, leaving his classmates at a loss.

Shikamaru rubbed his forehead, staring at the floor. _He doesn't seem like the type to fight, _he thought furiously. _He doesn't seem like the type to be fought. He's too modest, and too quiet--he knows more than he lets on about a lot. But...he doesn't seem dangerous at all._

He sighed. In truth, he just didn't know what to think of him anymore; each time he had some vague idea about his character, the blond did something outlandish that completely startled him, and all his peicing together of the clues flies out the window.

--

"You need to be more careful," Iruka said, voice colored with concern. Naruto smiled up at him with that vacant, contented expression in his eyes.

"I'm sorry, Iru--"

The man walloped him. "Don't try that polite act with me," he warned the blond severely, dabbing alcohol lightly over his wounds.

Naruto rubbed his head with his free hand, wincing. "Right. Sorry 'bout that."

Iruka glanced up, dark eyes searching. "Any luck yet?"

And the blue eyes that meant his gaze were sorrowful. "Not any."

--

"Sakura, spill," Shikamaru commanded in a no-nonsense tone. "We know you know what happened."

"But...I don't think Naruto wants--" the pink-haired girl began, but was soon cut off by Ino, who crossed her arms and said, "I don't think he should keep it a secret, what he did."

"But," Hinata piped up quietly, "I'm sure he doesn't want to brag--"

"It wouldn't be bragging if _we _were the ones who told about it," TenTen reasoned, smiling at the shy brunette. "Ino, do you want to do the honors?"

Sakura looked flustered. "I really think you should--"

"We were all in P.E.," Ino said, settling comfortably on her desk. "Us girls, I mean. Our sensei went to go find the key for the storage shed, so we could play volleyball, and she told us to wait outside. We were all talking, and then out of nowhere, we heard someone say, "This is his new school," and it was a man's voice." Ino's eyes suddenly hit the floor. "There was a big group of men coming onto school grounds, and they saw us and demanded to know where "Nami Kyuu" was. We had no idea who that was, and told them so. But then they decided we were just lying to protect this Kyuu person, and told us that if we didn't come clean, they'd beat the answer out of us, or they'd..." She cleared her throat; the girls shifted uncomfortably and the boys' faces paled. "B...But anyway, we really couldn't answer, and they got angrier and angrier, and finally one of them grabbed Hinata-chan's arm hard."

"They _touched _her?!" Kiba snarled, livid. Neji looked just as pissed off at the thought of some violent man laying a hand on his kin; Shino just settled a hand on the blushing girl's head.

"And then, like, with no warning, Naruto-san was there; he elbowed the man who had Hinata-chan hard in the face, and then drew her back. He stood in front of us," TenTen was grinning as she recounted the memory, "and told them to back the hell off."

"But then they said, "Ahh, Nami-kun, just the person we wanted to see," and Naruto told them that should they have any future business with him, they were to find him and to not drag innocent young women into their problems." Ino blushed faintly, but then frowned. "The weird thing was, he didn't seem surprised to see them. It's not like he was _expecting _them, but he wasn't shocked."

"Well?" Shikamaru prompted.

"Then he left with them," Sakura said quietly. "He told us to wait inside for our teacher and left."

If they were going to add anything else to their story, the girls were interrupted by the sudden rattling of the classroom door closing hard. Everyone glanced round; confused, Kiba asked, "Was someone else in the room, or...?"

--

The next day, Naruto could not thoroughly evade them; they cornered him in homeroom, once again, only this time in the middle of class. Kakashi was too lazy to care much about what his students did, which gave them free reign of the room, within reason.

Naruto was smiling at them, only visible eye shut. "Is something wrong?" he asked.

Hinata reached out to very softly touch the gauze on his face. "Your eye..." she said, concerned.

He perked up in his seat, looking earnest. "It doesn't hurt at all. Iruka-sensei told me to wear bandages for awhile, so I will." He looked from one of the group to another; it was almost too easy to imagine him with a wagging tail.

"Listen, Uzumaki," Kiba crouched in the seat of the desk in front of Naruto's. "What happened once you left--with those thugs, I mean." The group quieted and glanced at the blond to gauge his response.

He didn't seem surprised that Kiba had been informed. He smiled again, disarmingly. "They led me to an out-of-the-way alley for their convenience." He paused, as though rethinking something, and when Chouji opened his mouth, he continued, "Before you ask, I'm not sure of their initial motives--but they seemed intent on causing me harm. I probably would have had no chance at all defending myself." He said this all with the ease of honesty; Shikamaru suddenly felt very tired, in a relieved kind of way.

"Well, then what happened?" Ino demanded. "What happened then? Surely if they'd all gone at you, you wouldn't have gotten away this easily." She waved a hand at his bandages.

"Someone jumped in as their ringleader threw the first punch," Naruto said abruptly. "I didn't get a good look at his face, but I owe my good health to whomever it was." His gaze seemed suddenly fathomless and deep, like the uncharted depths of the ocean. "I hope I see them again sometime." He smiled sweetly, gazing at his textbook. "I really would like to thank them."

His eyes drifted over to the boy by the window, and he smiled.

A/N: I'm sorry it's so short! I'm sorry it took so long!! D: Please don't hate me!


	3. Chapter Three

Title: Don't You Cry

Summary: Another tale of high school romance, and taking the first steps into true love. Let's just hope the concerned parties are aware of what could happen: love is a powerful and frightening thing, after all.

Pairings: Mainly NaruSasu, but also some KakaIru.

Warnings: Lousy attempts at humor, high school angst, yaoi, and a faltering, fleeting, uncertain relationship between two people who need to learn to trust again.

Note: I'm beginning to think of my Naruto-kun (when I say "my" I mean the one in this humble little ficlet because I--DISCLAIMER--don't own _Naruto_) as a modern-day Kenshin-chan. -ponders- With some Fye-chan mixed in there, too. All I can say about this chapter (besides some complaint about how difficult it was) is FLASHBACK CITY!! Whooo!! -dodges knives-

_Chapter Three_

_--_

Everyone in the hallway was staring. Even the teachers paused on their way to the lounge or class to gaze wide-eyed at the spectacle. Uchiha Sasuke was striding purposefully down the hall, a royally pissed-off expression riding his face. He stalked angrily out of sight, and immediately the rigid spectators dissolved into whispers.

_"Uchiha-san was scowling!"_

_"He was actually _expressive!"

_"Squuee!! He looks so much cuter when he's mad!"_

Only a select few took the time to wonder why the hell he was that angry in the first place; no one had any idea.

--

He scanned the hall quickly, furious. He couldn't explain why he was so angry, just that he needed to find a certain dobe and right freaking then, dammit. He was attracting stares from pretty much everyone and cursed inwardly; but he knew that no one would be brave enough to approach The Untouchable Sasuke. He scowled, quickening his pace; the hall he was in was more or less deserted, thank god. He made to hurry around the corner, but stopped dead at the sound of voices.

Frowning, he leaned against the wall, listening intently. He might've simply continued on his way, if he hadn't recognized one of them.

"What can I do for you?" that soft voice he hated himself for knowing so well asked politely.

"Nothin' much." Sasuke didn't know this person; his eyes narrowed and he listened harder. "Just wanted to ask you something."

"I'll do my best to answer." Sasuke could almost hear his smile in his voice.

"I hear you've been hanging around Uchiha," the second conversationalist drawled; there was a shifting of fabric, and Sasuke could imagine clearly this person crossing his arms and shifting his stance to make himself taller.

"Well, wherever did you hear that?" Sasuke heard Naruto laugh lightly, and knew the blond was not going to confirm anything until he was sure how much this other person knew.

There was a chuckle. "I got ways. Anyway--and hear me out before you bite my head off--I want you to stop."

"Whatever for?" Naruto sounded a bit wary. Sasuke could picture his eyes flashing slightly and wondered why.

There was a surprised silence. "Because of Itachi! If that bastard finds out you hang out with Sasuke, you could be targeted." The next part came softer; "I'm only trying to look out for you." Then he continued, "Surely you don't _like _hanging out with him?! He's probably--"

"Truth be told, I enjoy his presence very much," Naruto interrupted, voice soft and sincere. "I'm not sure how he feels about me; of course not, I've not known him very long, correct? But in any case, if anyone has any future problems with this, I'll personally take care of it. No one will attempt to draw near Uchiha-san with ill intent that way." Sasuke could picture his tilted-head smile; he frowned at the floor. _What's he talking about? _His hands clenched into fists. _How does he know about Itachi?_

"Naruto--"

"Honestly, Temujin," Naruto's teasing voice interrupted. "You're not even supposed to be in here. How'd you sneak inside anyway?"

"I have _some _skill." This Temujin person sounded miffed. "You're not the only one who can crawl through an open window, y'know."

"I'm sorry." The apology in Naruto's voice was genuine and playful at the same time. "I didn't mean to doubt your genius. But really, you should leave before a teacher finds you in here. What are you doing in Tokyo anyway?"

"Like I'd let you leave without a goodbye! The guys made me come all the way here to check on you. You know your father asked us to watch over you when the day came that he couldn't."

"Yes. Yes, I know."

Sasuke suddenly felt that this was something he wasn't supposed to hear; from the silent agony in Naruto's voice to the gentle concern in Temujin's, it was obviously something that wasn't brought up in daily conversation.

"How did you know I'd come to Tokyo?"

"We know you've been looking for him," Temujin once again sounded a little insulted. "You've been looking for him for years. I know now that you've found him you're not going to want to leave him, but...The only reason we let you look for him was because...well, we--"

"You thought I'd never find him."

"Right...Look, I'm sorry, but if Itachi--"

_"I know." _Sasuke could imagine the gentle hand Naruto would lay on Temujin's shoulder. "I understand. But...I want to protect him, okay? From Itachi, from Orochimaru, from--"

"From the world?" When there was no response, Temujin sighed heavily. "Gotcha. Listen--if you ever need anything, let us know, okay?"

Naruto's voice was warm with much affection and gratitude. "Right. Arigato gozaimasu, Temujin-kun."

And then there was silence. Sasuke heard Naruto sigh after a long moment, and then his footfalls down the hall, in the opposite direction from where Sasuke stood rigid around the corner.

_"We know you've been looking for him. You've been looking for him for years."_

Sasuke's eyes were wide. _Were they talking about me? _He stood there for a moment, before realizing he was letting Naruto--the fecking moron he'd taken so long to track down--walk away. Lunging around the corner, into another conveniently empty hall, he yelled, "Oi! Dobe!" and the object of his sentiment paused, turning to glance over his shoulder. Temujin was gone, but Sasuke had no time to ponder that.

"Ah? Uchiha-san?" Naruto's lips curled into a small smile. Sasuke's eyes found the bandage on Naruto's face and his frown deepened.

"Why didn't you tell them?" Sasuke said quietly.

"Mm? Who do you mean?"

"Those idiots in homeroom. Why didn't you tell them it was me?" He knew Naruto would know what he meant and waited for the blond's reply; in the years before when he first arrived to Tokyo, people would always make excuses as to why they let him down in various ways, and while some were good, others weren't, and Sasuke saw through them all. It was when he couldn't take being lied to anymore that he shut himself off completely. He couldn't bear being hurt again, so he refused to give anyone that opportunity.

Naruto looked bemused. "Well, I assumed from the way you seem to want nothing to do with me in school, and from the look you gave me that night, that you wouldn't want the word getting out you were seen with me." When Sasuke blinked, looking a little put-out but still trying to stay mad, Naruto's mouth opened in a small "o" and he said, "Ah! Did I seem ungrateful?" Naruto looked stricken. "I'll go find them and tell them it was you if you'd like! Or, if you'd prefer, I'll wait for them to bring it up, then mention you, and--"

"Urusei!" Sasuke snapped, and Naruto fell silent at once. "That's not--I'm not that vain a person, okay? I just..." Now his tongue was heavy; it seemed so stupid now that he was going to say it aloud. He looked away.

Naruto smiled. "You thought I was saving it for blackmail material. That I'd somehow use it against you later?" He chuckled, turning and taking a few steps forward. Sasuke tensed, without knowing why. But Naruto passed him, not pausing, and continued on his way in the opposite direction he'd been going before Sasuke intercepted him. "I'm not that kind of person, either, Uchiha-san."

And he was gone, leaving Sasuke standing in the empty hallway feeling a fool.

_Then just what kind of a person are you?_

_"I want to protect him from the world."_

--

He'd made his way to the roof again, during the last class of the day. He sat perched at the top of the fence, gazing out over the city.

_"Wait, don't be sad." He smiled, reaching a hand out to him. "Do you want to be my friend?" The little boy on the swing blinked once, before grinning hugely in response and taking the offered hand in his own. "There!" the first boy laughed, dragging him off the swing and into the rest of the park. "Now we'll be friends forever, you'll see!"_

His eyes tightened, hands clenching harder on the chain link.

_"What's wrong?" his companion asked quietly, leaning closer to see his expression. He shook his head, muttering reassurances, and the boy beside him scowled. "Don't lie to me," he snapped, taking his chin in one hand and turning his face to his. "When you're upset, tell someone, or they'll never know. You hide your pain too well."_

_Face held in place, he could only smile and try not to cry. "You've always been able to tell."_

_"Well, of course." The hand on his chin slid to his neck and he was pulled closer, his face buried in a warm shoulder. "Someone's got to."_

"That's right." Tears filled his eyes and he brushed his sleeve across his face quickly. Vision swimming, he smiled into the sun and wondered how much a person's heart could take, before it finally and inevitably broke. He glanced down with a resigned sigh, trying to smile the pain away, and his gaze dropped to the swarm of students leaving the school. _That late already...? _And then, almost by mistake, his eyes found a certain raven-haired. Naruto watched from above his first and true love walk away from him again.

"I won't lose faith," he said quietly. "I'll find a way. A way to make you remember." He dropped his head into his hands. "Even if you never do, Sasuke, I...I'll..." He bit back a sob. "...I just can't stand being alone."

--

When he came back into the classroom for his bag, Kakashi could tell he'd been crying. His expression was too guarded, his gaze too cool. He bowed quickly to Kakashi and made his way back to his seat. As he grabbed it and made to turn around, he heard his teacher say calmly, "Pay more attention on your way home, or you'll be ambushed again."

Naruto felt his eyes widen a bit, but he smiled. Turning to face the silver-haired man, he bowed again. He recognized the sentiment for what it was, and was grateful. "Hai." Shouldering his bag, he made his way to the door, sliding it open.

"Oh--and your friends were looking for you."

Naruto spun around, eyes narrowed. _Does he mean-- _

Bemused, Kakashi continued, "Kiba and Lee and the rest." Seeing the blond boy's frame relax, he sighed. "Now head home. And if you cut class again I'll kick your ass."

Naruto grinned, giving his teacher a salute-style wave before rushing out the door. "Hai!"

Kakashi watched the door rattle shut, before he turned back to his paperwork, small smile hidden by the cloth mask.

--

"What the hell do you mean?"

Temujin winced, holding the phone away from his ear. When the angry shrieking subsided, the blond brought the mouthpiece back and said calmly, "I mean that Naruto has decided to stay in Tokyo. ...No, don't give me that--I'm not gonna force him back if it means making him miserable. ...Hey, jackass, we _agreed _to let him search for Sasuke--I don't care what you thought, it was a deal, and I'm not going back on a promise I made to him. ...Yeah, that's what I thought. ...Get _over it, _goddammit_!_"

He threw the phone down onto the receiver and ran a hand through his hair, exhaling deeply. "I think I just lost my job..."

--

The next day in homeroom, Naruto was approached by several of his peers; it surprised him. Hinata immediately inquired about his eye, and he assured her it was fine. Shikamaru asked him if he got home alright the night before, and Naruto assuaged his fears on that subject as well. Then Kiba told him that if anyone tried to lay a finger on him again he'd make sure to beat the shit out of them for him, and the blond told him hastily that that probably wouldn't be necessary. Then Neji asked him what he was doing after school, and he told him had no plans, really. Chouji invited him to the arcade and after a moment of hesitation, he agreed. After that, Lee had cheered loudly enough to draw the rest of the girls over, all of whom immediately asked Naruto how he was feeling, and the whole thing started over again.

Naruto was far from annoyed; it was the first time in his life so many people seemed to care what happened to him. He couldn't help but smile; Shikamaru grinned--it was the first smile Naruto had shared that even resembled anything real.

"Okay, class," Kakashi drawled suddenly, wheeling a projector to the middle of the room. "We're going to be watching this video today. Get over it." He put a tape in the VCR and pressed a few buttons here and there, before slouching back to his chair. The students took this as their cue to gather together and talk for the rest of the class.

Shikamaru grabbed his chair and dragged it back to where his group was conglomerating around Naruto's desk. Naruto looked confused as to what was happening, then downright anxious for a moment. Ino grinned, completely misinterpreting his unease. "The movies usually aren't that bad," she assured him. "And normally we just talk through them anyway."

He smiled, and Shikamaru noticed a definite difference between the smile from the beginning of class and the one he was seeing now. He frowned, but kept it to himself. As usual, everyone was quiet for the first few minutes of the movie, then the silence turned into soft whispers, then the general subdued murmurs. Kakashi remembered himself and flicked the lights off so the movie showed up better against the wall. Naruto buried his face in his good arm.

_"Naruto?" His voice was gentle. "Naruto, look at me." He reached forward to pry Naruto's arms from their death-grip on his knees, and lifted the trembling boy's chin. "Why are you crying?" The blond couldn't answer, breath coming in shuddering sobs, so he continued, "I'm here now," and stroked the sunshine-yellow hair from the frightened blue gaze. Those eyes started to clear, his breaths coming easier; he clung to his savior for all he was worth, trying to regulate his heartbeat with limited success. "Tell me--what's wrong?"_

_"It's so dark," Naruto whispered quietly. "Why is it so dark?"_

_"The lights went out," he replied with a frown. "The electricity's out on our block. Naruto, are you okay?"_

_Naruto shuddered, closing his eyes tightly. He could feel his lover's soft hands caress his face. He clutched at them, staring beseechingly into his companion's eyes; he had to make him understand the danger of the darkness. "There are monsters," he said quietly, voice trembling too hard for his words to hold conviction. He saw the confusion flash across that face and continued determinedly, "There are monsters in the dark--they can find you and--"_

_Alarmed now; "Naruto?"_

_"--and they can hurt you..." He clenched his fists tightly, curling into a ball again. Remembering-- "It hurt so bad...!" The ripping, tearing agony, the cold concrete, that looming face, that sinister sneer, the suffocating darkness..._

_And then his love realized. "Naruto." His voice was quiet now, almost a whisper; he once again pulled Naruto out of the fetal position and tilted the blonde's face up to meet his own. "I'll never let any monsters hurt you again, okay? From now on, I'll be here to protect you. I should've been there then..." Regret burned in that beautiful voice, and it hurt Naruto's heart to hear the self-blame. "...but I'm here now, and I'm never going to leave you again."_

_"...It's so dark," Naruto murmured._

_"Hold tight to me and close your eyes," the raven-haired said, "and the monsters will go away."_

Face hidden in his arm, Naruto clenched his eyes shut tightly and imagined Sasuke's warm arms wrapped around him, imagined that familiar comfort that seemed so alien now, so long-gone it hurt. But the pain distracted him from the fear, and he floated for awhile inbetween the two, trying to decide which would be the least painful.

He decided to run from both.

Standing up quickly, he rushed to the front of the room and told Kakashi he felt sick. He was near the projector, and clung subconsciously to the small light it gave off. Kakashi raised one eyebrow at him, but either expected him to be telling the truth or just didn't care enough either way, and let him go. He passed in front of the projector, casting a dark shadow over the image on the wall for a moment, and then swept out the door and was gone.

He stumbled down the hall, bathed in the bright lights, and began desperately to make his way to Iruka's room. He fell inside when he got there, and heard Iruka's startled, "Naruto?" and gentle hands lift him from the floor, before he closed his eyes--feeling safe and secure beneath the bright lights of the infirmary.

--

"Oi, sensei," Kiba called from where he sat, with no regard for the few people actually trying to watch the video, "where'd Naruto go?"

With just as much consideration, Kakashi replied, "He said he didn't feel good, and left for the infirmary."

Kiba frowned, and turned towards Shino. "Did he say anything to you about being sick?"

"..."

"Well, I know that he doesn't talk much, but still, he might've mentioned it in passing or something..."

"..."

"Sunova--you know what, Shino? Just shut up!" (Shino: ... ) Kiba glanced over at Shikamaru. "What about you?"

Not remarking upon the brunette's odd conversation moments ago, Shikamaru sighed, "How troublesome..." but paused as something in his peripheral vision caught his attention. Sasuke was sitting upright, dark eyes flashing with the light of the movie projector, gazing towards the door. Shikamaru's eyes widened at the expression on the young Uchiha's face.

"Shikamaru?" Kiba flapped a hand in his face. "You alright?"

Shikamaru watched Sasuke's eyes, suddenly so expressive, turn from confused to calculative. He stood soundlessly, making his way to the door near the back of the room. It was dark, so no one realized it was him--had they, there would have been great commotion, because Sasuke had never once moved from his position at the window during class, not even for lunch. As it was, Sasuke was able to go unnoticed until he reached the door; at which time he opened it and stepped outside, having it closed before any of his peers had time to look around for who left.

Shikamaru was stunned, and couldn't hear Kiba's attempts at snapping him from his reverie.

_Is he...worried? About Naruto?_

--

Iruka sat at the bedside, brushing the blond's hair back from his face. He was aware of the fear that rendered Naruto breathless--he just hated how helpless he was when it came down to the push and shove.

He remembered seeing Naruto the night it happened, clothes torn and bloodied, skin bruised and flushed. He remembered that broken expression the lively boy's face, the trembling in all his actions. He remembered crying in concern as Naruto slept fitfully, tucking him tightly into bed. He remembered the door slamming open and seeing Sasuke in the doorway, expression so murderous it sent chills down his spine. He remembered moving out of the way slowly to allow Sasuke to lean over the blond and whisper to him, brush the hair out of his eyes, clean his face with a damp rag. He remembered the pain in the Uchiha's eyes that he'd let something like this befall _his _little dobe. He remembered Naruto waking up in the dark room and simply screaming--screaming and screaming until he or Sasuke turned on the lamp. He remembered the blonde's bounce back, his constant reassurances to Sasuke that he would be just fine. He remembered how Naruto never got over his fear of the dark, the monsters in the dark; he remembered how each and every day that passed by during which Naruto healed, Sasuke was at his side.

He remembered Sasuke's absolute promise to never leave him.

"Naruto," he said quietly, watching the boy sleep. "You've been through so much--and you're killing yourself trying to save him." He reached out to lay a hand on the blonde's head. "I'd wish you'd let it go...but I know you better than that. You'll die trying, won't you?" He sighed and leaned forward to kiss the sleeping boy's forehead. "Sleep well for now at least."

There was a knock on the door; he turned. "Come in."

The door rattled open.

A/N: -arm flail- 'Nother short chapter!! WHOOO!! -dodges more knives- W-Well!! Um!! At least now you're more confused than you were!! :D; ...No--!! And about the cliffie...er...yes! That gives me a better idea of where to start the next chapter!! Yeah, that's it!! :D;;; Um! ...Review?


	4. Chapter Four

Title: Don't You Cry

Summary: Another tale of high school romance, and taking the first steps into true love. Let's just hope the concerned parties are aware of what could happen: love is a powerful and frightening thing, after all.

Pairings: Mainly NaruSasu, but also some KakaIru. Now that I think about it, there may be others, like KibaShino and ShikaNeji, but those aren't things to concern yourselves with.

Warnings: Lousy attempts at humor, high school angst, yaoi, and a faltering, fleeting, uncertain relationship between two people who need to learn to trust again.

Note: Things need to pick up now. Oh, and have a quote:

_"Far away, long ago, glowing dim as an ember,_

_things my heart used to know,_

_things it yearns to remember..."_

_Chapter Four_

_--_

When Naruto woke up, Iruka was tending to a girl with a high fever. Naruto slid out of bed unnoticed, and yanked on his shoes. Moving silently, he found his bag and slipped out the door quickly; on his way back to class (he consulted a clock and found that while he'd missed lunch, he still had several more hours of class left and couldn't afford to miss them) Naruto paused, bringing a hand up to his chest. His intuition had always been amazing--and right then he was somehow remembering cool, steady fingers on his face and hair, a gentle hand holding his tightly, and a calm voice drifting over him, comforting him with its familiarity--it had to have been while he was sleeping...

He shook his head. _Must've been Iruka, _he tried to make himself believe, but Iruka held nothing more than a paternal affection for him--this dream-of phantom was full of a deep love and tender affection, but also of an inner turmoil and confusion. Naruto sighed--he'd obviously been fantasizing his dreams coming true.

He reached his classroom door, and, testingly, slid it open partway; one set of ceiling lights, to his great relief, were on, while the ones near the front were off. An anime was playing over the projector now, and Kakashi seemed determined to do nothing but sleep through the class.

Instinctively, Naruto's eyes (he'd gotten rid of the bandages) sought out Sasuke; and with a sigh of still more relief, the blond found the Uchiha unharmed, in his seat by the window.

"Naruto!" came the sudden cry, and Kiba was bounding towards him from across the room; Naruto braced himself for impact--but he was rescued by the ever-silent Shino, whose outstretched foot sent Kiba flying into a row of desks.

Shikamaru lounged in the desk next to Naruto's; he watched Kiba's antics with an affectionate disdain. "Troublesome," he muttered as Naruto slid into the chair beside his. The lazy genius turned to face the blond and said, "So what happened?"

"I'm afraid I had a bit of a dizzy spell is all," Naruto explained to him with a skin-deep smile. "Nothing to be concerned about."

"Iruka-sensei wouldn't let us in to see you," Chouji remarked suddenly, on Shikamaru's right.

"There was a very sick girl in there when I left," Naruto said smoothly, "so I'm sure it was only his concern for your health that kept you out."

"So," Kiba came trotting up as though his spectacular mishap had never taken place, and was glancing at Naruto expectantly as he said, "are we still on for after school?" Seeing a slight confusion enter those cloudy blue eyes, the dog-lover sighed. "Arcaaade?"

"Oh!" Naruto blinked twice, as though amazed he'd managed to forget. "Of course!"

"A-Are you feeling well enough, Naruto-kun?" Hinata asked quietly, shy eyes troubled.

"I told you," he said soothingly, "that it was nothing to be concerned about." He felt eyes on him, and turned around; Sasuke, from his desk in the back, was staring at him. Naruto frowned, puzzled, and stood with a polite and distracted, "Excuse me," as he moved back to crouch by the Uchiha's desk. "Something wrong?" he asked with a disarming smile, voice low so his words could not be overheard.

"Yeah," Sasuke replied, talking at normal volume, "there is; _you_ shouldn't be walking around."

"But..." Naruto shrugged helplessly, eyes beseeching. "Uchiha-san, I wasn't in there for anything important..."

Sasuke's eyes narrowed. "Don't lie to me." Sasuke knew what was coming; Naruto would say something along the lines of "Why shouldn't I?" and he would have a point--because Sasuke had never given anyone the grounds to trust him, and he didn't plan to.

But Naruto said, "I'm sorry." Sasuke's eyes widened at him, and he stared; Naruto's face was genuinely sorry, beautiful eyes burning with regret.

And he turned, moving back to where he sat near the projector; Sasuke watched everyone intuitively group around him, all of them peering into his face and asking in concerned voices if he was alright; he couldn't see Naruto's expression, but he watched his shoulders shake and heard his delicate laughter; he watched as all but a few of the group were reassured, watched the ones who weren't trade glances; he watched Neji say something quietly to Naruto, and Naruto's abrupt hush; and then they all were laughing and Naruto was lowering his head to the table mock-dejectedly.

_What an enigma this is turning out to be._

--

"I had fun," Naruto called from across the street, waving to them with a smile. "Thanks for inviting me along."

"No problem!" Kiba shouted, waving back. "See you tomorrow!" Naruto nodded once, before he turned and trotted off. The others stood watching him go, until he turned a corner out of sight. "You know," Kiba remarked after a second's silence, "this isn't a very together neighborhood."

"I know," Chouji said grimly, staring down the darkening street. "A friend of mine used to live here--his brother was killed in a drive-by a few years ago."

"A _shooting?" _Lee's eyes were round, and he clutched at Neji's sleeve, yanking on it. "Shouldn't...shouldn't we attempt to remove Naruto-kun from this environment? What if something like that was to transpire again, and this time--"

Neji pried his friend's hand off him and said, "We can't very well ask him to pick up and move, especially if he lives alone. I don't think he has anywhere else to go." Seeing Lee's downcast expression, he continued, "There hasn't been as many serious happenings here in a long time. Besides, I'm sure Naruto-san can take care of himself."

When he reached his street and waved goodbye to his friends, Shikamaru allowed himself a sigh. Sometimes, he wasn't so sure.

--

_Darkness engulfed him--he tried to scream, but something was choking him--the liquid black surrounded him, drowning him...He clawed at his throat, struggling for air, sinking deeper and deeper into oblivion. There was no light--there was no sound; the air was hard, unbreathable, and he was suffocating..._

He woke up with a start, gasping and sweating; his sheets were twisted around him tightly and he sighed, disentangling himself. _I shouldn't be so afraid, _he thought furiously, raiding the refrigerator. Heating some leftovers up in the microwave, he risked a glance at the clock and swore loudly. "It's that late?! Ohh, fuck fuck fuck," he chanted, abandoning his food and rushing into his room to unearth his uniform. He grabbed the keys to his apartment and stowed them in his bag, and then pulled his shoes on at the door.

"I'm off," he said to no one, and when he realized that he smiled. He closed the door on the microwave's chime.

--

"I expect you have a reason for being late?" Kakashi said lazily, eyeing him. He was disshelved and breathless, but appeared quite composed as he stood before the class. Naruto surprised him by continuing to stare at the floor and saying in a quiet tone, "None, sensei."

Kakashi watched him carefully; "Well, take you seat," he said to the surprise of the class. "We'll discuss it later."

Naruto winced, but nodded resignedly, turning to make his way back to his chair. "Oh!" Lee yanked on his arm suddenly as Naruto went past. "Naruto-kun! We're going on a field trip in a few weeks! Has anyone told you?"

"I heard about that," the blond replied vaguely, "but I have no idea when it is or where we're going."

"It's in two days," Shikamaru replied, "and we're going to Kyoto. We'll be staying at an onsen ryoken for a couple of nights."

"That sounds expensive," Naruto said, rubbing his neck with a small laugh. Then he froze; "Wait, did...did you say Kyoto?"

"Yeah," Shikamaru said slowly, frowning. "Is something wrong with Kyoto?"

"N...Nothing," Naruto said, sighing. And then, because he knew they wouldn't buy it, "I used to live in Kyoto. That's all." He made his way to his seat and sat down.

--

"Why were you late?" Sasuke asked him, raising an eyebrow. Naruto smiled helplessly, shrugging; Sasuke knew it was all he was going to get, so he said nothing else. When lunch finally came around, Naruto was dozing, face tucked into his arms.

"Oi, Naruto-kun." Lee poked him in the head. "Naruto-kun?"

He stirred, muttering under his breath, and opened one sleepy blue eye. "Wha?"

"Did you hear a word of what the teacher said?" Shikamaru asked, raising an eyebrow. Naruto grinned and then stretched like a cat.

"Sorry." His voice was apologetic. "I didn't get much sleep last night."

"Well, let's go," Kiba said, tugging his arm. The girls had gone ahead of them. "It's lunchtime." Naruto stood, good-naturedly allowing himself to be pulled along, before he paused and glanced back at Sasuke. He wanted to eat with Sasuke, but didn't want to anger him by exposing their friendship in asking him to join them. Noting his hesitation, Kiba called back, "Hey, Uchiha--you comin' or what?"

Sasuke looked up--and for the first time, his face was not graced with a scowl, but with a slightly uncertain, lost expression. It had to have been Naruto's influence, he decided later; because he slid his books into his bag and stood, following them to the door. He went mostly for Naruto's sake, to rid his face of that lonely puppy look, but he was amazed to find that he actually enjoyed the group's company. There was no awkward silence, no sidelong glances; they immediately accepted Sasuke as a rather silent friend, and let it go at that. By the end of lunch period, Sasuke found himself at ease with them, and caught Naruto's incredibly happy smile sent his way.

It was the most successful day he'd ever had; he'd managed not only to gain several new friends, but also to make Naruto smile.

When he got home that night, he went straight to bed. And for the first time in how many months, he dreamed.

--

_He scuffed a sandal-shod foot against the dirt, moving himself back and forth in the lone swing under the tree. He watched the other children play with one another, laughing and running about. None of them spared a glance at him, all too wrapped up in their fun. He had finally decided to go home when a voice from behind stopped him. _

_"Hi."_

_The speaker was a small, blue-eyed blond boy who smiled at him as openly as if they had always been close friends. It startled him; he didn't respond. The blond tilted his head to one side. _

_"Do you want to play?"_

_And despite the shock of the disruption of daily routine, Sasuke was glad for once not having been ignored. He felt himself grin back and slid off the swing. "Yeah," came his quiet response. The smile that single word earned him was blinding, and the boy took his hand, leading him away from the tree and toward the throng of people with no hesitation to speak of._

_"Let's have some fun!" The boy laughed when the children started playing tag, and immediately wanted in. The group accepted them without a second thought, and the game began. He could never remember a time in his life that he had enjoyed more than those few hours with the blue-eyed boy who made everything exciting. After tag, when everyone else had collapsed, gasping, onto the grass, the boy had sprung up and danced around, trying to get them up and moving. When they didn't respond, he impatiently grabbed Sasuke's hand again and pulled him to his feet, demanding they find go on an adventure or find something exciting to do._

_But the daylight didn't last forever, and soon enough it was growing dark. The children all left for home, one by one, until finally it was just the two. The blue-eyed kid smiled the smile that made his eyes shine in the late-afternoon sun and said, "So what's your name?"_

_And Sasuke blinked, realizing he hadn't given it to him. So he said, "My name's Sasuke."_

_He thought for a moment. "Good name," he said in approval after a few seconds. "G'bye!"_

_Sasuke inhaled sharply, raising a hand out as though to stop him as he trotted away. "W...Wait! What's you're name?"_

_And when he turned to look back at him, his expression was soft and sad and made Sasuke want to cry. The blond came back and took Sasuke's hands, resting his forehead on his--but Sasuke was comforted instead of unnerved. "If I tell you my name know, you'll forget it someday," he told Sasuke quietly. "I'll remember your name, Sasuke, and when we meet again I'll tell you mine." Then Sasuke's hands fell from his and the boy was walking away._

_The world spun suddenly, and Sasuke was fifteen again, sitting in his seat in the back of the classroom. Kakashi was telling the class that they'd have a knew student, and then the door opened. Sasuke recognized this moment as the day Naruto had come to their school._

_But when the blond stepped in, everyone else in the room vanished and it was just the two of them. Naruto's eyes were on him, and suddenly they were both eight years younger. That same smile lit up those same blue eyes, and he said, "I'm Uzumaki Naruto."_

When he woke up, the only part of the dream he could remember were two bright blue eyes and an aching agony that left a bitter taste in his mouth; the rest escaped him, fleeting

--

Naruto pretty much became a daily part of Sasuke's life. He found that, for some reason, he didn't particularly mind hearing the blond's voice (damn near loved hearing it) and seeing the scarred boy walk through the classroom doors in the morning was enough to lift the Uchiha's heart. He didn't understand why and, as the days went by, he found he didn't care. He loved to observe Naruto, watched him interact with the rest of the class--he was always kind, and endlessly patient.

Not that he forgot about the strange words he'd overheard in the hallway so many days ago--or the conversation he'd had with the infirmary doctor when he'd gone to check in on Naruto.

--

_"Umino-sensei," he said quietly, striding into the ward without waiting for invitation. He glanced around him, and his eyes fell on the dobe he'd been searching for. The blond was deep in a fitful sleep, twisting about restlessly. "What's wrong with him?" His voice made it sound like a demand rather than a question, and Iruka raised an eyebrow at him._

_"And why would you of all people want to know?" the scarred man asked him, no amount of sarcasm in his voice at all; his dark eyes were dead serious, startling Sasuke into stilling the biting retort on his tongue. "Don't go breaking his heart again, kid. And go for now--he's finally sleeping."_

_--_

He had no idea what the man meant by "again." He didn't remember breaking anyone's heart--and he certainly didn't remember breaking Naruto's. Was he so fragile, anyway? It looked like there wasn't anything in the world that could break that boy. To his new friends' delight, he opened up more and more with every passing day. His smiles were starting to look more and more honest, and he talked more in that soft tone of his.

_What is he afraid of?_

But despite his improvements, there was always something just beneath the surface that he wasn't sharing--something he wouldn't say. Sasuke could see it, and so could anyone else who cared to look--but no one said anything. Naruto was the kind of person one would willingly sacrifice anything for--his soft insecurity, that ever-present fear of rejection, very nearly broke his classmates' hearts. They tried to eradicate it by making him laugh, by smiling more around him, by letting him know that with them, at least, he was safe.

He was the never-changing factor in Sasuke's day. When Sasuke arrived each morning, Naruto would be with his group, loitering near the front door (waiting?)--and upon seeing him would smile hugely and excuse himself, rushing up to Sasuke and beaming through a mask of new cuts and bruises, chirping, "Good morning, Uchiha-san!" Sasuke never thought of a tactful way to ask him to use less formality when addressing him--and every new wound on that sunshiney face was burned into his mind's eye like fire.

Naruto never mentioned the cause, though, and Sasuke never asked. It was just another thing he let slip by.

He was always amazed by Naruto's eagerness to be with him; his blue eyes were earnest when he slid into his seat on the Uchiha's right, and he would always say softly, "Hey there." Truth be told, Sasuke was surprised he _wanted _to hang around--most of the ones that wanted to be with him because he was good-looking, or because he might make them look good somehow, fell off after a couple minutes, let alone days and days and days. That alone said something; besides that, and he'd been watching, Naruto never did a thing for himself. His every action he cleared up with Shikamaru, or Kiba--they looked a little put-off when he asked to sit with them, and would always say that he didn't have to ask.

Before they knew it, a month had flown by. Sasuke began to feel something when he looked at Naruto, something he'd felt once before but couldn't quite place. It burned up a place in his chest, and made his heart skip a beat--each time he laid eyes on that blue-eyed mystery. He couldn't place it, and wasn't sure he wanted to. When he tried to remember what it was about this emotion that made it so important to him, his head spun and he fell against the nearest wall.

It scared him that he couldn't remember; but the fact that he couldn't made him want to all the more--and as he kept thinking, he realized that remembering whatever it was might lead him to understand Naruto and Temujin's odd conversation, and the strange protectiveness in the doctor's eyes.

He resolved to ask Naruto; the blond seemed willing to do just about anything for anyone (something else to keep him up at night), so he figured he might persuade him into spilling whatever secrets were being kept. Naruto hadn't come to school the day before, and that worried him.

--

Naruto wasn't there when Sasuke arrived; he frowned--that was odd. He hadn't been out front, and Sasuke had nearly made himself late by waiting for him. Even as he thought it, the final bell rang. As he was setting his bag down by his chair, he heard scuffing footsteps and glanced up; the pink-haired girl from Naruto's group, a bright, studious girl whose name Sasuke never cared to remember, was leaning on his desk, every bit as casual as if they were old friends and this was definitely not her first time speaking with him.

He wondered why she was in the first place. Was having Naruto with him all time beginning to affect the reputation the school had given him?

"Hey," she said, voice betraying the worry she wouldn't allow on her face, "have you seen Naruto-kun around anywhere? He left early the day before yesterday, and Shikamaru said he didn't answer the phone at all."

Sasuke felt alarm seize his mind, but he forced himself to maintain an outward calm. He shook his head, and she sighed, running fingers through her hair. She didn't seem surprised he'd responded. "Well, thank you." And she turned back to the group, already shaking her head and saying, "No, he hasn't seen him either."

"What's this?" Kakashi--this was a surprise--was looking their way, chin cupped in his palm. "Naruto's gone missing?"

Hinata squeaked, "D-Don't go that far, sensei, I'm sure he's fine."

"Right, right. Well, let's begin, class--" But Sasuke was through listening. He stood so quickly his chair fell over. Gathering his bag, he turned and stalked towards the door. "Uhh...Sasuke?" Kakashi raised an eyebrow at him. "What do you think you're doing?"

Sasuke didn't answer; he himself didn't know, and that was the truth. It was like something else was commanding him, and a part of him he didn't know existed would settle for nothing less than absolute obedience concerning it. There was little left for him to decide on his own; his mind was made up before he could have his say in it.

"Oi, prick," Kiba called from his seat. "When you find him, tell him we'll kick his ass if he went and got his ass kicked." Sasuke stared at him for a moment, at all of them; Shikamaru, Neji, Lee, Chouji, Shino, Kiba--all of them were watching him, understanding clear in their eyes.

"I will," Sasuke said, and they were the first words he'd spoken in the classroom for as long as anyone could remember. And then he swept out the door and was gone.

There was silence for a moment, before Kakashi turned to look at Kiba. "Since when does Sasuke speak?"

The brunet shrugged. "Since Naruto brought him along to lunch I guess."

"Mm. Interesting. Now, get out your books and turn to page thirty-nine."

A/N: Whooo! An update! The structure is a little _askew, _I guess, but since when haven't my stories been askew? Please review! (I'm sorry for the long wait, that was bad. x.x I lost Interweb for awhile...)


	5. Chapter Five

Title: Don't You Cry (It's not gonna change.)

Summary: Another tale of high school romance, and taking the first steps into true love. Let's just hope the concerned parties are aware of what could happen: love is a powerful and frightening thing, after all.

Pairings: Mainly NaruSasu, but also some KakaIru. Now that I think about it, there may be others, like KibaShino and ShikaNeji, but those aren't things to concern yourselves with.

Warnings: Lousy attempts at humor, high school angst, yaoi, and a faltering, fleeting, uncertain relationship between two people who need to learn to trust again.

Note: WUAHAHAHA! Sasuke battles some "new" emotions, and secrets leek out!! Fwoooo, secrets...

_Chapter Five _

_--_

He ended up walking right into Naruto's apartment; the door was unlocked. It was dark, and the only light was the dim glow filtering through the blinds. He ran his fingers along the wall as he stepped slowly into the room, searching blindly for the light switch. When he found it, he flipped it on.

Naruto's apartment was small, but big enough for one person; the living room wasn't as messy as Sasuke had originally thought--then he came to the realization that since Naruto didn't have much to leave laying around, it _would _be clean. The kitchen was tidy, too, but Sasuke wasn't so bold as to search his cabinets or refrigerator. He made his way down the short hall, thinking all the while that it seemed too _empty _to be the home of the Naruto he knew. There was no decoration or color; just the bare essentials, nothing more. He didn't even have a television. And then he pushed the door at the far end of the hall open and felt his breath catch.

The room was a mess. The wallpaper was torn up and strewn about, and the bedroom window was broken. Shattered glass was scattered around the floor, and at the foot of the bed was blunt instrument that looked something like a bat. In the midst of all this was Naruto, lying in bed, seemingly fast asleep.

Sasuke couldn't move--he didn't know for how long. And then he was stumbling forward, trembling all over, _terrified--_ "Naruto!" he shouted, shaking the blond hard. "_Naruto!" _

Indigo eyes blinked open, and Sasuke's hands fell away; and then Naruto was sitting up and looking up blearily, hair falling around his face, eyes the warmest blue. "Sasuke...?" he mumbled quietly, rubbing sleep from his eyes. "What're you..." And then his words died and his arm fell. "...Oh."

"...'Oh.'" Sasuke felt fury rise in him. "_'Oh'?! _'Oh' is all you have to say?!"

"So far," Naruto said quietly. Sasuke opened his mouth, then bit back his anger for as long as he could manage_. _"Don't be upset," the blond continued, rising out of bed. "You can stand in the hall if you'd like, I'll have this cleaned up in no time." He almost fell out of bed, yawning widely, ushering Sasuke out. Sasuke didn't move, looking thoroughly grounded. Naruto thought for a moment, biting his lip, then said, "How about I show you something?"

Sasuke frowned, made curious despite himself. Naruto smiled eagerly, and Sasuke sighed.

"Great! Just lemme get dressed," Naruto said, tugging off his pajama shirt and rustling around in the closet for a clean one. Sasuke glanced around the room again, as Naruto dug for pants; underneath the aftermath of certain recent chaos, it was plain. Even Sasuke's room was more colorful.

"Sasuke?" Naruto barely touched his sleeve. He seemed apprehensive about touching him, or being too close to him, though he seemed to always want to be near him. Sasuke frowned in thought, and then realized Naruto was staring at him.

"Ah...ready to go?"

"Yup," the blond nodded with another smile. He led Sasuke back down the hall, to the front door. Locking it behind them, once they were out in the hall, and stowing the key in his front pocket, he started down the stairs. Sasuke followed him wordlessly, watching him; he watched all of the moves Naruto made, in awe of him. His body was so slender and lithe, but not too thin or lanky, and his every movement was fluid and unhurried. He was so sure of himself, and yet so insecure at the same time.

Naruto led him into a busy part of town; Sasuke was uncomfortable around so many people, and started to feel his claustrophobia creeping up around him--but Naruto wasted no time in slipping through the crowd and beckoning Sasuke to a nearly empty street. "We'll take the longer route," he said reassuringly. "I'm sorry, it's been so long since..." He trailed off, hesitated, then turned around and started walking again.

_Is there some big secret I'm not allowed to be in on? _

Several blocks later, they reached a park. Sasuke blinked at the sight of it; it felt so nostalgic somehow, though he knew he'd never been there before. Almost of its own accord, his gaze was drawn to the lone swing on the treebranch near the far edge of the park. He started towards it, then stopped. Looking around for Naruto, he found the blond watching him with gentle sorrow in his soft blue eyes. When Sasuke's gaze turned questioning, Naruto turned his face away, and headed for the swing.

He ran his fingers gently over the wooden seat, the fraying rope. Sasuke watched him silently; the blond looked ready to cry. "Is this an important place to you?" The Uchiha felt a little privledged at having been somewhere that meant so much to Naruto.

His words, however, seemed to send a spark through Naruto; the boy flinched, before looking over at Sasuke with a big smile. "I met the most important person in my life right here."

They went back to school together. When the two of them entered the class, Sasuke holding the door for Naruto and sliding it shut behind him, most of their peers were impressed, to say the very least. Naruto smiled vaguely at his friends' concern, and told them he was just fine, and sorry to have worried them.

In the meantime, Sasuke made his way back to his seat and sat down, unable to think of anything else but Naruto's words at the park.

_"I met the most important person in my life right here."_

It filled him with something he didn't recognize for a moment; when he finally placed it, it surprised him. _Jealousy. _How was he jealous? It wasn't like Naruto didn't have a life before coming to Tokyo. He could have met his closest friend there, or even more likely still, his...his girlfriend. Sasuke winced inwardly at that, then froze. Feeling heat flood his face, he carefully moved his gaze to Naruto. Had anyone ever looked so perfect? And then Naruto's warm, detached blue eyes met his, and he averted his gaze quickly.

_Ohhh, god. _He cursed himself over and over and over. _How could...how could I let this happen? _

He'd crushed on the first person to ever even try to understand him--a _boy _no less. Naruto seemed the type of person not to care about sexuality, but it'd still make things awkward between the two of them, and Sasuke didn't want that. At all.

_But why do I care?!_

He sighed, frustrated, thinking back on that morning, going over Naruto's words. Then he thought suddenly of dark purple eyes, a confused expression, and a warm _"Sasuke..."_

He turned quickly and stared up at the blond, who was coming back to his seat. The familiarity had been clear that time; there had been no hesitation in his voice, no awkwardness. He'd woken up in an early-morning daze and had simply no mind for secrets.

_Secrets._

Naruto knew him. He _had _to have known him. But how? Sasuke remembered the dizzy spells, the blackouts that came from trying to think past his fifteenth birthday. He looked at Naruto. The blond was humming lightly to himself, face a very careful blank, doodling absently on his notes. Sasuke wondered how much effort it took to hide every single little fact about oneself--and then _why. _Why would he go through so much trouble? Sasuke didn't think for a second that it was just a chance to get at him. For starters, Naruto seemed too sweet and gentle a person (even under his persona) to even think of manipulating someone for his own gain. And secondly--he wouldn't keep his distance if that were the case, he'd be at Sasuke's side _all the time, _trying to convince him of his loyalty and faith.

Sasuke couldn't help but smile when Naruto yawned weakly and kind of curled up. His eyes slid closed slowly, warm and sleepy, and his breathing evened out, slowed down. After a few moments, Sasuke gave into the urge; he reached over, very slowly, and brushed the soft blond hair back from Naruto's flawless face. His touch was gossamer, but the action felt so...he couldn't place it. He just felt calm, and completely home when he stroked Naruto's face very gently.

In his sleep, Naruto smiled, and mumbled, _"_You're finally home..."

* * *

He couldn't believe what was happening.

Somehow, someway, he'd gotten suckered into spending the weekend with "the group" going out of town to an onsen. He didn't particularly care for onsen, but Naruto's eyes lit up when Lee threw out the idea and he'd said, "Can we?" so of course, everyone else was all for the idea after that. The girls were going to have their own get-together at Ino's house (which was big enough to be its own onsen), which left just the guys. Kiba jabbed a finger in Sasuke's direction.

"You're going."

Sasuke stared. "Why me?"

"'Cause Naruto wants you to, moron."

And Sasuke had glanced at Naruto, whose gaze was averted, and struggled for a moment before sighing in defeat. And that's how he found himself waiting for the others to come pick him up, by himself in the busiest part of town. He was beginning to feel anxious and restless, with all those people boxing him in, but before his claustrophobia got too bad, Naruto was suddenly beside him, hands on his knees to support himself as he gasped for air.

"You're...on the wrong...street, Uchiha-san..." the blond panted, still doubled over. Sasuke reached over to very gently brush back the hair from his face. Naruto hesitated, before straightening and taking his hand, leading him down the street, saying, "It was over here they said to meet, Uchiha-san, I had to look all over for you. Neji's got us a chartered bus! It'll take us right there and pick us up, too!" As he spoke, Sasuke was very aware of his fingers around his, and was somehow completely at peace with it.

When they found the others, and when Naruto dropped his hand, it suddenly felt very empty.

* * *

"Nami-sama," the boy on the phone said, "I was just in touch with him. He's...well, he's not coming back just yet."

The man's fist clenched and he stood quickly, chair spinning back. "What?! Why not?! He can't stay there for much longer, Itachi's--"

"Yes," the voice on the other line interrupted quietly. "But he can't leave yet, sir. He's come too far. Let him have a bit more time there. Please?"

The blond man was silent, emotions raging behind fiery blue eyes, before compassion for the boy won out and he sighed. His voice much softer, he said quietly, "Listen--watch out for him."

"Always, sir."

* * *

"Wow!" Naruto's eyes were huge. "I've never been to an onsen before, are they all this big?" His excitement was contagious, and soon everyone else was shared his enthusiasm. They carried their bags off the bus, and Neji thanked the driver, asking him to come pick them up again the following evening. As the bus pulled away, a woman came to greet them, smiling and showing them inside. Naruto was gazing around him at everything, fascinated. In the actual spring, he fell asleep.

It was Sasuke who carried him back to the room. The rest of the group watched, fascinated despite themselves, as the untouchable Uchiha gently drew blankets over the sleeping blond's still form.

It was sweet.

* * *

They decided to explore the town the next day, and just have some fun. Naruto didn't seem as thrilled by this, but he grinned along with them anyway. The town was a quiet, sleepy little place, and the only people milling about were the shopkeepers. Surprisingly, though, their group seemed to be attracting looks; a few people were almost glaring at them, but mostly they were shocked stares.

"Why're people looking at us funny?" Chouji whispered to Lee, who shrugged helplessly. Sasuke glanced sidelong at Naruto, who was walking swiftly, with a wary alert. His expression mirrored the angry glares of the townspeople, which left Sasuke shocked. Naruto wasn't the type of person to just glare at someone like that.

"This is getting weird," Neji muttered, and Shikamaru frowned for a minute, looking around.

"We should just slip in somewhere for a bit," he said.

Kiba was the one who pointed out the small pub on the corner. "There--that's perfect."

Chouji frowned. "But we're--"

Naruto piped up, "Places like this don't care much about age. S'long as you don't cause trouble, they won't care." Rather than question his insight, everyone trotted over, and ducked inside the bar. It was dimly lit inside, and loud.

"So this is where everyone was," Kiba shouted loudly over the noise, holding his ears. Shino was holding his, too, looking miffed. Kiba looked back at him apologetically. "Sorry, man, I know you hate noisy places."

"There're dancers," Naruto called to his friends, pitching his voice to be heard over the racuous laughter of the crowd. "That's probably why there're so many people here. Lotta times, little places like this'll hire dancers to bring in some more customers, if business isn't doing too good."

"You know a bit about everything don't you?" Chouji laughed, hands clapped over his ears as well. Naruto didn't answer, though, as he was scanning the bar quickly. Then he gasped, and his eyes lit up and shone. He rushed forward, pushing his way through the people crowded around bar.

"Naruto!" Sasuke shouted after him, "Don't!"

"Dammit," Shikamaru muttered, following him. When the group battled their way to the front, Naruto was already there, cupping his hands around his mouth and calling out something that couldn't be heard over the rest of the noise.

"Naruto?" This behavior was unlike him.

"He can't hear me!" Frustrated, the boy boosted himself onto the bar and swung his legs over. When he stood, the crowd gave another enormous cheer. All but ignoring them, Naruto stood on tiptoes, scanning the dancers, before he grinned again and screamed out, _"Gaara!" _as loudly as he could.

And then a beautiful redhaired boy was gliding towards them, light blue eyes looking them over one by one, looking bemused. And then that gaze alighted on Naruto, whose arms were open expectantly, and the pale-faced dancer's expression turned stunned. "Naruto?"

"It's me, it's me!" Naruto's smile was blinding when the taller boy folded him into an embrace, and he said, "It's so great to see you, you look great!"

"Glad to hear it," the other boy's voice was amused. "That's kind of how I make my living."

Naruto slid off the bar, and said, "Here, meet these guys--Sasuke, Shino, Chouji, Lee, Kiba and Shikamaru." He pointed them each out as he said their names. "They're my friends from Tokyo!"

His voice was adorably earnest and sincere, and despite his odd behavior, his friends found themselves smiling; he'd called them, for the first time, his friends. He may not have realized it, but they certainly did.

* * *

"You used to dance?"

Naruto's face was a very attractive shade of red. "That was a long time ago." He glared at Gaara for bringing it up.

"Would you dance for us?" Kiba asked him, grinning suggestively. Sasuke punched him in the side of the head, and Shikamaru muttered, "That he deserved."

They were all gathered back in their room at the onsen. Gaara seemed at ease with them all, though they were beginning to realize that he wasn't much of a smiler. This didn't bother Neji and Shino as much as it did the others.

"Why did you dance?" Neji asked quietly. "I'm sure it was more than just a hobby."

Naruto's smile faded a bit. "Had to make a living somehow," he said laughingly, running his fingers through his hair. His unease was enough to tell his friends that this was the area of his life that should go unquestioned.

"So what brings you back here?" Gaara asked him suddenly in that somber voice of his. "I thought you'd left for good with--" Something in Naruto's face made Gaara break off. There was an awkward silence that lasted all of three seconds, before Gaara slid his arms around Naruto again and pulled him into a tight hug. "It's good to see you after so long. Why didn't you visit like you promised?"

And Naruto, who was always so hesitant to touch or be touched, always keeping a polite distance, a space between himself and others, relaxed into Gaara's hold, eyes softening. "Complications," he muttered, sounding so miserable and forlorn the group couldn't fathom what kind of complications they could've been.

But Sasuke was putting together several things:

One, that Naruto had obviously lived here before, in this place, and that he must've had some kind of reputation for people to have been hateful outside, but very appreciative in the bar.

Two, that he hadn't been back in awhile due to "complications." Sasuke thought back to his apartment; Naruto had been so unruffled by the whole ordeal. Was it so commonplace a happening?

And three; someone had taken Naruto away from this place, obviously someone he cared about from the way Gaara's voice had changed.

_"I met the most important person in my life right here."_

Suddenly Sasuke's stomach was knotted. There was so much he didn't know, so much he couldn't ask. He was so confused and troubled and irritated--who was this person Naruto seemed to love so much? Why did it seem like everyone they met on the street knew so much about it, when Naruto's classmates and teachers knew nothing? And what made Iruka so special, that he was allowed to be in on whatever it was?

The next day, Naruto hugged Gaara hard and long while everyone else boarded the bus. Sasuke watched them from the window. Gaara said something, and Naruto nodded. Sasuke could see, even from so far, those brilliant blue eyes glisten softly with sorry tears; he suddenly realized that after seeing someone precious to him again in such a long time, Naruto was leaving with having spent hadly any time with Gaara at all. But Gaara rolled his eyes and brushed at Naruto's face, saying something that made the latter laugh. And then Naruto was waving and trudging up the steps, and Gaara was walking back down the street.

And then Naruto was standing in the aisle next to Sasuke, asking if he could sit by him again for the ride home. Sasuke smiled, and nodded, and Naruto slipped past him to sit by the window again. Within minutes, he'd fallen asleep, head rested against the cool glass.

Sasuke was resolved. There was something he wasn't remembering. For so long, he'd told himself simply not to think about it, because it didn't matter. But now, if he wanted answers, he'd have to get them himself.

He closed his eyes in frustration, and fell asleep.

* * *

A/N: This chapter's very willy-nilly, and I'm sorry! D8 But things'll pick up soon, I promise!! Please review!


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